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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. i

R. T, SMITH. MACHINE FOB. PERFORATING MUSIC PAPER FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 287,062. Patented Q0t. 23, 1883.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

/ R. T. SMITH.

MACHINE FOR PERFORATING MUSIC PAPER FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. b

No. 287,062. Patented Oct. 23, 1883.

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NITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

, ROSWELL SMITH, OF NASHUA, NEWV HAMPSHIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,062, dated October 23, 1883.

' Application filed May 9, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RoswELL T. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing in Nashua, in the county of Hillsborough, in the State of New Hampshire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Perforating Music-Paper for Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification. I

My present invention relates to that class of perforating mechanism for which Letters Patent of the United States have been granted me,

dated and numbered as follows, to wit: Letters Patent dated January 27, 1880, No. 223,866, said Letters Patent having been reissued the 12th day of April, 1881, and numbered 9,653 5 Letters Patent dated November 2, 1880, No. 233,882, said Letters Patent having been reissued the lOth day of April, 1883, and numbered 10,311; Letters Patent dated April 3, 187 7 No. 189,144, said Letters Patent having been reissued the 19th day of October, 1880, and numbered 9,429.

The object of my invention is to perforate music-paper, to be used upon automatic musical instruments, by means of two separate and independent series of punches, the members of one series being so arranged as to alternate with the members of the other series, each series of punches cutting alternate lines of perforations in the music-sheet, and being, both as to the series and individually, capable of separate and independent action, the selecting and operating devices being arranged in two independent and alternating series, each controlled by a separate pattern or stencil.

To this end, therefore, my invention con sists, first, in the combination, in a perforating-machine, of two series of cutting-punches, each series, as well as the individual members thereof, having independent action, one series being arranged a suitable distance in advance of the other, and the members of the one series alternating with those of the other; two lndependent series of selecting and operating devices having alternate arrangement to correspond with the alternation of the punches; and two separate and independent patterns or stencils, whereby the selecting and operating devices are actuated,each stencil representing alternate lines of cuttings to be formed in the paper sheet, and beingso timed with relation to each other as to insure the necessary action of the cutting-punches.

My invention consists, for the second part, in anovel construction and combination of parts, whereby the selecting and operating devices are disengaged from the openings in the pattern or patterns between each stroke of the punches, in order to permit the feed movement of said patterns. I

My invention consists, for the third part, in a novel method of adjusting the clearing devices or trippers, whereby the selecting-arms which engage with the patterns may be lifted to any required degree.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 2is a partial side elevation. Fig. 3 is a View, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the tripping device detached. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section taken in the plane so 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 6is an edge elevation, showing a part of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the die-plate of the machine.

In-the class of machines ent invention belongs the mode of operation consists in the automatic selection of the punches between each stroke of the machine, the selecting devices being controlled by a pattern or stencil with which they engage, and upon which or in which the relative length and arrangement of the several sound-openings to be out are represented in any suitable manner, the feed movements of the paper being so adjusted that those punches having repeated or successive action shall cut a continuous slot or sound-opening.

In the machines constructed under my former patents I have considered it desirable to use a stencil consisting simply of a paper sheet having the sound-openings indicated by perforations formed therein. The material from which such patterns are formed is not to which my presonly very cheap, but by marking the blank IOO exercising ordinary care it is extremely durable, and after it is removed from the machine it may be rolled up in a small compass and preserved for use at some future day.

It is now found to be desirable that the interval between the several series of note-openings in the paper sheet be greatly diminished, the reeds in the musical instrument being placed closely together, thereby effecting a great economy of space. My purpose in the present invention is, therefore, to perforate the music-paper upon a hair-line, as it is sometimes termed or, in other words, to form the perforations by means of punches having their adjacent edges in the same vertical plane, or substantially so. It will readily be seen that not only must the paper sheet have side support upon the die-plate, or,in other words, rest against all four of the sides of the rectangular opening which receives the cutting-punch, in order that the latter may make a clean cut, but that the paper-stencils also must be so constructed that they will bear the strain, as

well as the wear and tear, to which they are necessarily subjected. As a single stencil having the entire series of note-openings perforated therein would be, substantially, a duplicate of the paper sheet cut therefrom, it is evident that the contiguity of the perforations would weaken the stencil in places to a dangerous degree. E

Having thus set forth the purpose of my invention, I will proceed to describe the same by reference to the drawings, in which A indicates one of the side standards of a supportingframe which isin all respects similar to that shown inmy reissued Letters Pat ent dated April 10, 1883. This frame supports a die-plate, B, and a stripper-plate, 0, between which the paper sheet D is drawn. The latter is taken from a roll, E, and instead of a single sheet two or more may be drawn simultaneously between the stripper and die plates and be acted upon by the punches at the same time.

F represents the perforating-punches,which inthis machine are arranged in two series, one being arranged a suitable distance in advance of the other, and the members of one series alternating with the members of the other series, the distance between the two series and the alternate arrangement of the members thereof being indicated by the arrangement of the openings in the die-plate, as shown in the plan view of the latter in Fig 7. The punches F pass through openings in a guiding and supporting plate, G, and the body of each punch being guided by said plate while the point is held in the opening in the strip per-plate C, it will have motion in a vertical line. Upon the back of each punch is formed a tooth, f, which rests upon the plate G and holds the cutting end in engagement with the stripper-plate. The punches are driven by dogs H, which are mounted upon a reciprocating support, I, actuated by a pitman, K,

means of selecting-arms L, one of which is attached to or forms part of each dog, and ex tends over a pattern-sheet or stencil, M, each arm having at its end a pin, m, which either rests upon the imperforate portion of the stenoil, in which position the dog is tilted backward out of engagement with its punch, or drops through the perforations in said sheet, whereby the dog H is thrown forward and brought into engagement with the punch F above it, the selecting-arms L being normally thrown downward by means of a spiral spring, 8, having one extremity connected to the arm and the other to the reciprocating support I, upon which the dogs,with their selecting-arms, are mounted. The stencilsheet is carried over a roll, N, in the body of which are grooves (1, equal in number and coincident in their arrangement with the longitudinal lines of cuttings in the stencil, whereby the pins m, upon entering such perforations, may pass freely down within the grooves, and thus bring the dogs Hinto perfect engagement with the punches. To aid in effecting the engagement of the dogs and punches, a lip orprojection, e, is formed upon the side of the punch nearest the steneil-roll, whereby the dog is prevented from passing beyond the proper point. The end of the punch, also, is beveled off to form, with the projection e, an acute angle, while the end of the dog is beveled to fit therein. Thus as the dog rises, driving the punch before it, the end will be drawn closely into theangle, and a per feet engagement is thereby secured.

Attached to the reciprocating support I are rods P, one at each end, extending upward ,and having their extremities connected with abar, R, which is arranged just above the teeth f, projecting from the backs of the punches. The rods P being rigidly connected to the support I, as well as to the bar R, the latter is firmly held in place, and when the reciprocating support I rises the bar rises with it, there by permitting those punches which have been selected by the arms L, and which are therefore in engagement with one or more of the dogs H, to be driven upward to perforate the paper. As the support I descends, the bar, which is drawn down with it, strikes the teeth f uponthe backs of said punches and forces them back into position for another stroke.

As thus far described, the apparatus does not differ greatly from that shown and covered by patents already granted to me, as already mentioned, and I make no claim, broadly, to the several features hereinbefore set forth. I will now describe and point out the several improvements which constitute my present invention.

As I have already mentioned, it is necessary, for the purpose of cutting upon a hairline, to arrange the punches in two series, the

members of the one alternating with those of the other. a similar arrangement of the selecting and operating devices. I place the latter, therefore, in two ranks, (lirectly beneath the punches, with the selecting-arms L L extending in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 1.

In order to provide a support for the devices last named, I form upon the part I a cross-head, T, and mount thereon two halfround trunks, V V, one upon each side. In each trunk, and directly beneath each overhanging punch, is cut a transverse slot, 2, within which the dog H, with its selectingarm L, is placed, a single shaft or wire, 1, being passed through the whole series. The arms L are connected with the reciprocating carrier I by means of spiral springs s, as al-. ready described. 7

It will readily be seen that the foregoing arrangement requires two separate and independent patterns or stencils. Theseare shown in the drawings as placed at the front and rear of the standards A, just beneath the extremities of each rank of selecting-arms. The construction of these rolls has already been set forth, and as they are exact duplicates, and,

moreover, differ in no substantial respect from. the stencil-roll shown in my patents of January 27, 1880, and November 2, 1880, further description is unnecessary. These rolls have a step-by-step movement, and are turned in opposite directions simultaneously by the mechanism shown in Fig. 2. Upon the end of each roll is a ratchet, A, rigid with the shaft. Upon the outer end of the shaft is loosely mounted an arm, B, which carries a pawl, a, which is held in engagement with the ratchet by means of a spring, 1), connecting the projecting end of the pawl and the extremity of the arm B, and having sufficient tension to constantly hold the nose of said pawl against the teeth of the ratchet. Near the end of the arm is swiveled a sleeve or. ring, 0, through Y which is passed a pitman, D, the size of the parts being such as to permit the latter to play freely in said sleeve. The upper extremity of the pitman is threaded, and nuts cl (1' are turned on, one of said nuts being below the sleeve and the other above. The throw of the pitman being always the same, the movement of the pawl-carrier B may be adjusted to any degree andwith theutmost accuracy by simply turning one nut toward or from the other. The mechanism for operating the other roll, being of precisely the same construction, requires no description. Both pitmen D are mounted upon the same crank-pin,e, the lower extremity of one being forked or split, as shown at f, Fig. 6, and straddling the end of the other pitman upon the pin 6, which latter forms part of a pulley, E, upon the main shaft of the ma chine. By this construction both pitmen act in the same vertical plane,-a11d their movement is always exactly equal and simultaneous.

The feed movement of both stencils takes This renders it necessary to make its lowest point of descent.

place between the strokes of the punches. In order to effect this movement without injury to the pattern-sheets, and to obtain, also, such new selection of the punches as shall thereafter be indicated by the advance of said stencils, it is necessary to lift all the selecting-arms sufficicntly to not only withdraw all the pins on from perforations in the stencil, but to lift the entire series just clear of the surface. In my former patents, in which I use a single row of punches only, I have employed for this purpose a yoke and lever, by which the dogs are drawn back from beneath the punches. In the present invention ,I have substituted therefor the following devices, shown in their place upon the machine in Fig. 1, and detached in Figs. 3 and 4: -A in said figures indicates a fiat strip, which may be made of wood or of metal, having a longitudinal slot, a formed in its body. At the upper end of said strip, and projecting slightly over one edge, is an offset-lug, B, having a. threaded perforation formed therein to receive a bolt, 0", a square end or shoulder, I)", being formed upon the upper extremity of the part A", in front of the lug B The strip A is bblted to the inner face of each side standard, A, by means of a bolt, D, passing through the slot (6 and a washer, E which rests against the face 'so that by turning said bolts in the threaded lugs B the bar may be adjusted backward and forward in a horizontal plane upon theshoulders If. The strip A is arranged directly beneath the arms L and near the cross-head T, the bar F being on the inner side. By loosening the bolt D'-, the entire device may be so adjusted in height that the edge (Z of the bar will come in contact with the selecting-arms L as the reciprocating carrier I approaches The arrangement of the. parts is such that just before this contact takes place the teeth f upon the backs of the punches will have reached the support Gr, uponwhich they rest, thereby allowing the ends of the dogs to barely leave their engagement with the punches before the arms L'are raised and the dogs thrown back. It will be seen that the tripping-bar F being placed closeto the pivotal point of said 0, the height to which the selecting-arms are ner shown, it is evident that in order to perforate a single sheet the pattern or representative perforations must be divided between said stencils. As already mentioned, this is done by perforating in one stencil every alternate line of cuttings to be formed in the musicsheet, the remaining series of perforations being formed in the other stencil. In this manner there is an interval between the longitudinal lines of perforations in eachpatternsheet equal to the width of a single punch, and the strength of the sheet is greatly enhanced thereby. As the stencil is drawn to a certain tension upon the machine, and is subjected to the somewhat sharp contact of the pins upon the selecting-arms, and is, moreover, frequently used a great number of times in succession, the consideration mentioned is of paramount importance. The stencils being fed simultaneouslyin opposite directions, it is evident that the patterns upon each must be so arranged and the two stencils so timed with relation toeach other as to effect a true cutting transversely of the music-sheet.

In Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings I have shown the stencil-marking and rack-cutting attachment which is covered in my patent of November 2, 1880, No. 233,882. Said apparatus, however, forms no part of my present invention, and is merely illustrated for the purpose of indicating that it may be used with the present machine as Well as with that already patented.

I make no claim, broadly, to the arrangement of the perforators in two alternating ranks or series, as I am aware that such arrangement is not of my invention; neither do I claim in this application any part, improvement, or combination shown and claimed by me in the several Letters Patent of the United States hereinbefore recited.

This application does not show any means for imparting the necessary stepmotion to the paper sheet, since the devices used for this purpose are similar in all respects to those shown in the Letters Patent mentioned, and particularly in that granted to me November 2, 1880, and reissued upon the 10th day of April,1883. It may be mentioned that in the present machine,as in all the others shown in said Letters Patent, each step movement should not be of greater length than the thickness of the punches, in order that those perforators having repeated or successive action may cut a scribing witnesses.

patterns, each representing alternate lines of cuttings to be formed in the paper sheet, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

2. The combination,with the selectingarms mounted upon a reciprocating support, and having pins adapted to engage with the stenoil, of a trippingbar arranged beneath said arms, and having vertical and horizontal adjustment, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination,with the double rank of punches arranged to alternate, as described, of the two series of selecting and operating devices having asimilar alternation,the reciproeating cross-head carrying said devices, the separate stencil-rolls, and the two independent patternsheets having intermittent motion in opposite directions, the perforations in said patterns being arranged as described, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the slotted strip A having a threaded lug, B", and a square shoulder, 12 of the horizontal tripping-bar F, the bolt 0 swiveled to said bar, and the bolt D and washer Eflsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the tripping devices, substantially as described, of the selecting and operating devices mounted upon areciprocating carrier, and the punches having upon their edges lips or projections extending below the ends of said punches, and adapted to arrest the motion of the dogs and secure an operative engagement therewith, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sub- ROSWELL T. SMITH. Witnesses:

NELTA WHEELER,

0. E. P. SMITH. 

